Ἱστορίαι Ἡροδότου — δ’

Μέχρι μὲν ὤν τούτου ἁρπαγάς μούνας εἶναι παρʼ ἀλλήλων, τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τούτου Ἕλληνας δὴ μεγάλως αἰτίους γενέσθαι· προτέρους γὰρ ἄρξαι στρατεύεσθαι ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην ἢ σφέας ἐς τὴν Εὐρώπην. τὸ μέν νυν ἁρπάζειν γυναῖκας ἀνδρῶν ἀδίκων νομίζειν ἔργον εἶναι, τὸ δὲ ἁρπασθεισέων σπουδήν ποιήσασθαι τιμωρέειν ἀνοήτων, τὸ δὲ μηδεμίαν ὤρην ἔχειν ἁρπασθεισέων σωφρόνων· δῆλα γὰρ δὴ ὅτι, εἰ μὴ αὐταὶ ἐβούλοντο, οὐκ ἂν ἡρπάζοντο. σφέας μὲν δὴ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς Ἀσίης λέγουσι Πέρσαι ἁρπαζομενέων τῶν γυναικῶν λόγον οὐδένα ποιήσασθαι, Ἕλληνας δὲ Λακεδαιμονίης εἵνεκεν γυναικὸς στόλον μέγαν συναγεῖραι καὶ ἔπειτα ἐλθόντας ἐς τὴν Ἀσίην τὴν Πριάμου δύναμιν κατελεῖν. ἀπὸ τούτου αἰεὶ ἡγήσασθαι τὸ Ἑλληνικὸν σφίσι εἶναι πολέμιον. τὴν γὰρ Ἀσίην καὶ τὰ ἐνοικέοντα ἔθνεα βάρβαρα οἰκηιεῦνται οἱ Πέρσαι, τὴν δὲ Εὐρώπην καὶ τὸ Ἑλληνικόν ἥγηνται κεχωρίσθαι.

Mechri men ōn toutou harpagas mounas einai parʼ allēlōn, to de apo toutou Hellēnas dē megalōs aitious genesthai; proterous gar arxai strateuesthai es tēn Asiēn ē spheas es tēn Eurōpēn. to men nyn harpazein gynaikas andrōn adikōn nomizein ergon einai, to de harpastheiseōn spoudēn poiēsasthai timōreein anoētōn, to de mēdemian ōrēn echein harpastheiseōn sōphronōn; dēla gar dē hoti, ei mē autai eboulonto, ouk an hērpazonto. spheas men dē tous ek tēs Asiēs legousi Persai harpazomeneōn tōn gynaikōn logon oudena poiēsasthai, Hellēnas de Lakedaimoniēs heineken gynaikos stolon megan synageirai kai epeita elthontas es tēn Asiēn tēn Priamou dynamin katelein. apo toutou aiei hēgēsasthai to Hellēnikon sphisi einai polemion. tēn gar Asiēn kai ta enoikeonta ethnea barbara oikēieuntai hoi Persai, tēn de Eurōpēn kai to Hellēnikon hēgēntai kechōristhai.

Up until this point, it was was only a matter of kidnapping, but thereafter (they say) that the Greeks are to be blamed greatly; for they attacked Asia before the others attacked Europe. They believe the kidnapping of women to be a work of unjust men and wanting to swiftly and earnestly avenge the kidnapped an act of a fool; to have no concern (to not care) for the kidnapped is the act of a wise man. For it is clear that, if they did not want to be kidnapped, they would not have been. The Asians — as the Persian account goes — took no account of the kidnapping of their women; but the Greeks for the sake of the Spartan woman (Helen) assembled a great army and marched into Asia to destroy Priam’s realm. After this, the Persians — amongst themselves — believed the Greek to be war-like and aggressive. They, thus, claimed Asia and the barbarian peoples that inhabit it as their own and considered the Europeans and Greeks seperate.